The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-12-09
FREDERICK W. BAKER, Editor.
A Good Message

A Good Message.
President Cleveland's message 10 Congress,
which was read in both Houses on Tues
day, was genuine surprise 10 the country.
First, on account of its breviLy, and second
ly, because it treated Of only one topic-the
unnecessary burden of federal taxation. Tie
Importance of this subject is thus emphasized
in the boldest and most striking manner, and
II the Democratic party needed an issue upon
which ii could go before the country and de-
mand that it should be continued in power
which it does not-President Cleveland has
supplied that issue.
Ills message in its opening sentC noes con-
tains this suggestive paragraph:
The amount of money annually exacled,
through the operation of present laws, from
the Industries and necessities of the people
largely exceeds the sum necessary to meet
the expenses OF the government"
These few words contain the entire argu-
ment, in a nutshell, for a revision of the
tariff and internal revenue laws. The Presi-
dent goes on to say:
when we consider that the theory ofour
institutions guarantees to every citizen the
full enjoyment OF all the fruits of bis indus
Try ana enterprise, with only such deduction
as may be his share towards the careful and
economical maintenance of the government
which protects him, it is plain that the ex-
action Of more than'lhis is indetensible ex-
tortion and culpable betrayal of American
fairness and justice. This wrong inflicted
upon those who bear the burden of national
taxation, like other wrongs, mutiplies brood
OF evil consequences. The public treasury,
which should only exist as a conduit convey
ing The people, tribute 10 its legitimate Oh
lecls OF expenditure, becomes a boarding
place Tor money recklessly withdrawn from
trade anu the peoples use, thus gripping our
national energies, suspending our country's
development, preventing investment in pro-
uuctlVe enterprise, threatening financial dis
lurDance, and inviting schemes OF public
plumber"
PRESIDENT Cleveland next proceeds to ex-
plain the efforts already made to reduce the
surplus n the Treasury by the purchase of
United States bonds not yet due, measure
rendered necessary by the stringency of the
money market, brought about in part, at
least, by the accumulation of money in the
hands of the government.
The President then states some of the
remedies proposed to deplete the Treasury
and valid objections to them.
The source of the trouble is stated as fol-
lows
our scheme of taxation, by means of which
This needless surplus is taken from the people
and put into the public treasury, consists of
farm or duty levied upon impOrtations from
abroad, and internal revenue taxes levied upon
the consumption of tobacco and spirituous
and malt liquors"
President Cleveland truly says that tobacco,
spirltuous and malt liquors can not, strictly
speaking, be denominated necessaries, and
therefore there seems to be nothing so well
able to bear The burden without hardship to
any portion of the people.
lie declares our present tariff laws to be
The vicious, inequitable and illogical source
OF unnecessary taxation" and they ought to
be at once revised and amended He shows
that while those who buy imported articles
pay the duty charged thereon into the public
treasury, the millions who buy domestic ar
'lcles OF The same class have the duty added to
The price by the home manufacturer, who is
therefore benefited to that extent.
The President does not recommend that
tariff taxes should be entirely abolished, and
says that in readjustment the interests of
American labor engaged in manufacture
should be carefully considered, as well as the
preservation of our manufacturers.
A good deal has been said upon the ad-
vantage to the farmer of maintaining traiff
upon wool, but the plain argument of the
President shows that this too, like all other
pretended benefits to the farmer, is an illu- !
sion and cheat. The President assumes,
and with propriety, that a large proportion
OF the sheep owned by farmers are found in
small ilocks Of from twenty We to fifty. The
duty on the grade of imported wool which |
these sheep yield is ten cents each
pound If of the value of thirty cents or less,
and twelve cents if ofthe value of more than
thirty cents. If the liberal estimate of six
pounds be allowed to each fleece, the duty
thereon would be sixty or seventy-two cents,
and this may be taken as the utmost en-
hancement OF its price to the farmer by rea-
son OF this duty. Eighteen dollars would |
thus represent the increased price of the
wool from twenty-five sheep and thirty-six
dollars that from the wool of fifty sheep,
and at present values this addition would |
amount to about one-third of its price.
The President then goes on to
show that this extra profit on wool, by rea-
son of the tariff, is not real, for when the
farmer goes to buy clothing for himself and
family the manufacturer not only EFFORTS the |
aforesaid duty on the wool but consider
able sum besides as u tariff on the manufac-
tured articles. Thus in the end the farmer is
aroused to the fact that he has paid upon a
moderate purchase, us result of the tariff
scheme, which, when he sold his wool seemed
so profitable, an increase in price more than
Sufficient to sweep away all the tariff profit
he received upon the wool he produced and
sold.
The President also shows how combina-
lions OF home manufacturers, protected by
the tariff, prevent competition and enhance
the cost of living.
Under our present laws, says the President,
more than four thousand articles are sub
ject to duty. Many of these do not in any
way compete with our own manufacturers,
and many are hardly worth attention as sub
jects of revenue A considerable reduction
can be made in the aggregate by adding them
to the free list The taxation of luxulies
presents no features of hardship but the
accessories of life used and consumed by all
the people, the duty upon which adds to the
cost of living in every home, should be great
ly Cheapened.
President Cleveland also advocates n re-
duction of duties ON raw material of all
kinds used in manufactures, or its free i'm
portation. This, he says in effect, would not
My reduce the price of the necessaries to
American consumers, but would give our
manufacturers a chance in foreign markets.